Taking Out The Trash - Part 1 - The Budapest Gambit

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3! ... A friend of mine suggested this move order (over 2. c4) a couple years ago because it "avoids the Budapest". However, the Budapest is nothing to be scared of. Certain variations of the Kings Indian, Grunfeld, Benoni, and QGD that become possible with an early white Nf3, on the other hand, may be a little bit scarier. On that note, I present to you a practical and effective way to approach this strange defense. Note that the mainline, up until move 15, is far and away the most common choice of Budapest players. The knight sacrifice based on 4. ... g5 is also popular. I suggest analyzing these two lines closely.

If all goes as planned, this article will be the first of many aimed at declawing popular, but 'not quite good enough' opening choices for both colours. If you have any requests or suggestions, feel free to message me here at chess.com.

Great recommendation line to play against the Budapest. I think it is clear, from the recent Candidates, that the Budapest is not "refuted". Ivanchuk got a good game against Aronian, who is very much a theoretician. The result was more about Ivanchuk's later play (and time management?).

I think the two ways to approach the final positions are equally valid. First, it's a good recommendation for a white player who wants something easy-to-learn and easy to play against a relatively infrequent opening. But on the other hand, if you were to prepare the Budapest as black as your primary defense to 1.d4/2.c4, then I don't think the final position would scare you too much in any of these lines. You have the pawn back, you are okay on space, and yeah white is a little better but a well-prepared player with the black pieces should be fine.

Although Bxd2 is 'serious' in the sense that it's the most common move besides d6 (which 'falls' for the positional trap)... I'm really glad you mentioned something about the move 10. ... a5!?, as I wasn't aware of the move!

Just an update... faced the Budapest at chess club today and was able to use the mainline of this analysis up till 14. ... cxd6. Black deviated with 14. ... Qxd6? and lost after 15. Qxd6 cxd6 16. Rfd1 Rfd8 17. a4 Rac8 18. a5 with a big white advantage.

But I am not sure that Budapest is entirely unsound, so I would call it 'trash' just yet ;) (I've never played it, though - and don't intend to)

But speaking generally - I don't really believe in long tactical 'refutations' of all but the worst among the chess openings. Why? Well, not because they don't work in theory - but for two practical reasons:

a) There are *many* openings and memorizing all these lines without confusing move-orders or ideas takes a lot of effort - which is disproportional to the frequency of playing against them

b) If the opponent is good (so, not a patzer) and plays a certain offbeat opening for many years, if he is to be prepared against anything - it is the critical and main lines - and he *will* deviate somewhere. So, even though he may deviate in a suboptimal manner - you still have to find the best moves over the board in complicated tactical positions where the other player *is* more proficient

c) What I personally prefer is playing non-forcing moves, solid and strategically sound - so that I get a long-lasting += out of the opening (either better development or more space, etc.) - and get a position which is simply easier to play. If you can get that - and if you are a better player - you ought to be able to win the game (with nearly no effort involved)

Hey Mav, lookin through my repertoire right now, and I have a real shortage of stuff like that for some reason! I have certain subvariations that end explosively... for example: I wouldn't call the f5 winawer in the french refuted by any stretch, in fact, my preparation is only showing another "+==, but only white can win" position... BUT, there are a few popular plans (specifically involving a quick b6/Ba6) that end disasterously for black, and which explain the rarity of the f5 winawer at the top levels lately (presumably).

I'll keep my eyes open though! My next few projects are, if everything goes well, the Blackmar-Deimar gambit, the 'old' Philidor move order (including the gambit line), and the Grand Prix Sicilian. I'll be working on those in no particular order. I'm not sure I'll touch the Dutch... I actually don't have an "easy, risk free white advantage". All my prepared lines are insanely complex... black just has too many choices.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll try to include as many violent lines as possible lol :)

This is a very insteresting idea - and it seems a speciality of yours.

I would like to see aggressive counter-tries against aggressive dubious openings. For instance, every time I play the Dutch in blitz against you - you pulverize it.

This type of de-claw (as you've shown in this game) to a slight edge position is very cool, in fact I often like to play this way. I feel however, the majority of players who read this article will not be prepared for the technical play it requires to convert such an edge - although they should certainly learn how. Nor am I claiming I automatically convert such positions myself.

How about some aggressive counter-tries that throw the ball back into the dubious opening user's corner? Any suggestions on this line of thinking?

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